Our second video news bulletin - June 2008 week 2

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Irish archaeology and archaeoastronomy news

MEGALITHOMANIA CONFERENCE 2007
Details are announced of the line-up for the annual Megalithomania Conference, to be held in Glastonbury on May 19th and 20th, 2007. This year's event will feature a talk by Mythical Ireland's Anthony Murphy, co-author of Island of the Setting Sun. Click here to read more.

DOCUMENTARY
MAKERS VISIT NEWGRANGE
A new documentary about how ancient cultures replicated the
cosmos on the ground brought film-maker Roel Oostra to the
Boyne Valley to film the Mythical Ireland team talking about
Cygnus, the Milky Way, precession and much more. Click
here for more.

NEW
SAVE TARA WEBSITE
A new website intended as a resource centre for news, information
and publicity about the threat to the Hill of Tara has been
established. Click
here for more.

TOMB
WITH A VIEW FOR SAMUEL BECKETT!
The small passage-tomb of Fourknocks was the setting for the
performance of some Samuel Beckett drama, according to the
Meath Chronicle. See
this page for more.

CROAGH
PATRICK'S "ROLLING SUN" FEATURED ON TV
A TV film crew has captured the rolling sun phenomenon at
Croagh Patrick, viewed from the Boheh Stone, according to
the Western People newspaper. Read
more here.

THREAT
TO HIGH CROSS
Muiredach's Cross, one of the finest examples of a High Cross
in Ireland, which dates to the 10th Century, is not adequately
protected from vandalism or acid rain, a local heritage group
has claimed. Click
here for details.THE BOYNE VALLEY ENVISIONED
November 2002: A unique collaboration of art and archaeology
is to take place at the OPW, St Stephen's Green, in December
with an exhibition of paintings by Richard Moore launched
by eminent archaeologist Geraldine Stout.Click
here for details.HUGE TEMPLE DISCOVERED AT TARA
Nov. 2002: A huge temple, once surrounded by about 300 huge
posts made from an entire oak forest, has been discovered
directly beneath the Hill of Tara in Co Meath. Read
more.ARCHAEOLOGISTS STRIKE GOLD AT KNOWTH
RINGFORT
August. 2002: Archaeologists digging at a ringfort near Knowth,
called Site M, found a piece of Anglo-Saxon gold during excavations.
The dig has revealed the site is in fact an Early Christian
habitation site. Click here for story.BLOCKING OUT THE LIGHT??
Dec. 2001: New research has shown that a proposed municipal
incinerator to be located just three miles across the Boyne
River from Dowth, may cause problems for the annual Winter
Solstice event at nearby Newgrange. Click
here for more details.

NEW
INSTITUTE:
April
22, 2001: A new website for the proposed Institute
of Astroarchaeology established, featuring a new map of
suspected astronomical
alignments in the Boyne Valley, to which we have contributed.
There are 11 confirmed alignments, more suspected. The International
Institute of Astroarchaeology is a trans-disciplinary nonprofit
organisation now being set up in Ireland, to promote awareness
of the astronomical design of Irish megalithic monuments.

WALK
THROUGH THE VIRTUAL BRUGH NA BOINNE:
April 22, 2001: A new virtual
reality walk-through version of the Brugh na Boinne
area has been created on-line by Victor Reijs. This fantastic
resource enables the viewer to see the Brugh na Boinne sites
from a number of viewpoints, from Newgrange, Knowth, Dowth
or even Slane, and allows you to walk and fly around this
virtual masterpiece. See also the Irish-Stones
site for more details.

ENCOUNTER
WITH MOON STONE:
March
6, 2001: BBC News Online science editor Dr
David Whitehouse comes face to face with what is claimed
to be the oldest
map of the Moon ever made - inside the eastern passage
of the ancient megalithic mound of Knowth.

WINTER
SUN IN MAES HOWE:
Jan
2001: The Winter Solstice sunset inside the megalithic mound
at Maes Howe on the Orkney Islands was captured on webcam
in December 2000. See the results here.

DIRECTORS
APPOINTED:
Jan.
15, 2001: A new Directorate (board of directors) was appointed
for the Discovery Programme as of 15 January 2001. The following
are the new members: Professor Michael Ryan (Chairman) Professor
Terry Barry Professor John Coles Ms Margaret Gowen Mr Raghnall
Ó Floinn Professor Barry Raftery Mr Michael Starrett Professor
John Waddell One vacancy remains to be filled by the Heritage
Council. See more on the Discovery
Programme website.